Chapter 24

The pneumatic tube opened with a hiss six hours later, and Kit Baxter stepped into the

lair, not knowing quite what to expect. There were pages from every newspaper in town scattered

around the tube bay, as if he had paced back and forth well reading, discarding each section

as he finished with it. Kit bit her lower lip a little. If he had paced back and forth well reading, discarding each section as he finished with it.

Kit bit her lower lip a little.

If he had brought the papers down here, it was to analyze them and think, without the servants

bothering him.

She couldn't help but wonder if he would have included her in that number.

For the moment she regretted not calling in first, but then she heard a rhythmic thumping sound

coming from down the hall and smiled in spite of herself. He wasn't in the crime lab. He was in

their gym, which meant he was trying to work something out that was just eluding him, which almost

always meant he'd rather think out loud. She opened the door to the training room quietly and saw him on the far side of the hall,

focused entirely on the speed bag, hanging from above.

His fists worked in perfect time, first the left, then half a dozen punches later the right,

then a flurry of alternating blows.

He was in trousers and an undershirt and

looked as if he'd been working for quite some time. Kit watched him for a few moments quietly.

She liked to watch him at the speedbag. It was the one piece of equipment that she was clearly

better at using than he was, and she was sure it drove him a little crazy. She had tried to

point out that a boxer's daughter ought to pick up a few things,

but he hadn't said a word. He kept up his pace for another minute or so, and finally his fists

...